Genre: Medieval Romance
You’ll like this if you like: Forgiveness, Heroines Falling in Love with Disguised Heroes, or Forbidden Love that’s Not Actually Forbidden.
Cleanliness: Even before the start of this story, the heroine has slept with another man, which is where the “forgiveness” mentioned above comes in play.
The hero and heroine get married pretty early on, so they eventually sleep together, of course. Only the moments before and the aftermath are described.
Hero Type: Beta Male/Brooding
By Beta Male, I don’t mean he’s not masculine enough or anything. He’s a dominant kind of guy, but not domineering, and he’s just so dang sweet I thought this suited him.
Favorite Profound Quote:
“…we need not fear God’s answers to our prayers providing we ask that His–not our–will be done.”
Favorite Descriptive Quote:
“…when he spoke, his voice was so tight it seemed one more turn of it might cause it to shatter.”
From Amazon
The Unveiling and The Yielding, the first two books in the Age of Faith series, introduced readers to the formidable Wulfrith family during Duke Henry’s battle for England’s throne and his succession. Now that Henry wears the crown, he is more determined than ever to bring the Wulfriths to heel.
In the eyes of the church and men, hers is no small sin.
Lady Gaenor Wulfrith is a woman scorned. And King Henry’s pawn. After three broken betrothals, she is ordered to wed her family’s enemy, a man she has never met and has good reason to fear. Faced with the prospect of an abusive marriage that will surely turn worse when her sin is revealed, she flees her family’s home with the aid of a knight—a man who could prove her ruin.
Christian Lavonne, the only remaining heir to the barony of Abingdale, has thrown off his monk’s robes—and God—to minister his lands. Determined to end the devastation wrought by his family’s feud with the Wulfriths, he agrees to marry his enemy’s sister, a woman no man seems to want. When he learns she has fled with a knight who has broken fealty with the Wulfriths, he pursues her, knowing that when they meet his own sin will be revealed and he will be as much in need of redemption as the woman who may carry another man’s child.
Gaenor first meets Christian when he’s training at Wulfen, though she doesn’t know it’s him, because full-grown barons don’t usually train at Wulfen and Christian tells her his name is Sir Matthew, since he knows she’d hate him if he told her who he really was. It’s so sweet to see how he treats her, especially since he does so without letting others know they’ve met yet. For example, her brother warns Christian that Gaenor is rather plain compared to her sister.
“…She is not Beatrix–in face, figure, or demeanor.”
“Tis as I have heard told.”
“I thought you might have.” Everard widened his stance. “Still, if you are disappointed when you meet her, I pray you will compose yourself so as not to make your feelings known.”
Rancor rising, Christian said, “You make her sound uncomely, Sir Everard–hardly what one expects from a woman’s own brother.”
But of course, Gaenor eventually has to leave to meet her betrothed. She goes with dread and dismay, believing he’ll be a bitter, abusive man, not the warrior she’s come to know as “Sir Matthew.”
Of course, things get a little complicated when she runs away with a man who she previously slept with (not to be with him, but to escape the baron). Overall, this is one of the sweetest Age of Faith stories, and it’s made even more intriguing by a murderous half-brother.
Get a Free Sample of The Redeeming (Age of Faith Book 3) (It’s also free on Kindle Unlimited!)
Other books by Tamara Leigh:
Leaving Carolina (Southern Discomfort Book 1)
Nowhere Carolina (Southern Discomfort Book 2)
Restless in Carolina (Southern Discomfort Book 3)
The Unveiling (Age of Faith Book 1)
The Yielding (Age of Faith Book 2)
The Vexing (Age of Faith Book 6)
What do you think is the best way to make a romance really sweet?
Tamara Leigh
July 24, 2017 - 9:38 pm ·Elizabeth, your review of The Redeeming made ME want to read it again. I’d forgotten how much I liked getting to know Christian and Gaenor (biased me) as they told me their tale. Thank you!
Elizabeth Newsom
July 25, 2017 - 2:00 pm ·Awh! 🙂 Thank you! Hopefully other people will feel the same way 😉
My pleasure!